Adjustable column speaker enclosure



Sept. 21, 1965 B. L. WILSON 3,207,257

ADJUSTABLE COLUMN SPEAKER ENCLOSURE Filed Oct. 14, 1964 United States Patent 3,207,257 ADJUSTABLE COLUMN SPEAKER ENCLOSURE Basil L. Wilson, 13919 S. Nestor Ave., Compton, Calif. Filed Oct. 14, 1964. Ser. No. 403,708 2 Claims. (Cl. 18131) This invention relates generally to speaker enclosures for audio hi-fidelity systems. More specifically, this invention relates to column speaker enclosures.

It is generally well known to those skilled in the art that column speaker enclosures for the home comprise members which are relatively tall, but which have a relatively small base upon which to stand, such speakers being usually three feet tall, or even taller, but the base thereof being usually a few inches in each direction. Because of the danger of the column speaker enclosure falling over, they are sometimes made to extend from floor to ceiling in order to prevent toppling. However, such enclosures have not been popular up to the present because of the awkward appearance of the enclosure in the home. Additionally, the column enclosure which has a height low enough to stand unsupported will house only a few speaker units therein, thereby limiting the hi-fidelity thereof.

Accordingly, the column speaker enclosures presently used having the above limitations, the present invention will provide a column speaker enclosure which will have self-contained means to prevent toppling, even if it is tall with a narrow base.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a column speaker enclosure which utilizes both the floor and ceiling to obtain support from each, and thereby prevent toppling.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a column speaker enclosure which is readily adjustable and may be accommodated in various homes Where the ceilings are at different heights.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a column speaker enclosure wherein the cabinet thereof does not necessarily need to extend to the ceiling, but wherein the top thereof may terminate at a point between the fioor and the ceiling whereby an enclosure is produced which is appealing to the decor of a home, yet which will house a sufficient number of speaker units as to produce a high fidelity audio reception.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an adjustable column speaker enclosure bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a limited number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation and use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention shown in operative location and secured between a fioor and a ceiling of a room;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view thereof showing portions thereof removed or broken away to show the interior construction;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken along the lines 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a bracket illustrated in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the column speaker enclosure shown with the top cover thereof removed.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral represents an adjustable column speaker enclosure according to the present invention wherein there is a cabinet body 11 of generally upstanding longitudinal character having a front panel 12, rear panel 13, opposite side panels 14, bottom panel 15 and a cover panel 16 which fits upon the upper end thereof. A plurality of legs 17 are attached to the underside of the bottom panel 15, the lower ends of the legs being supported upon the floor 18. A plurality of openings 19 are provided in the front panel and a paper cone-type loud speaker 20 is located within internal chamber 21 behind each of the openings 19 whereby sound waves generated by the loud speaker can be radiated outwardly from the cabinet. A grill cloth 22 of various types and of attractive appearance is mounted upon the front side of the front panel thereby hiding from view the openings 19 and permitting the sound waves to travel therethrough. The various panels comprising the cabinet may be attached together by means of glue, wood screws 23 or other means. A U-shaped bracket 24 is mounted within the chamber 21 by means of screws 25 which pass through openings 26 in the bracket, the screws being fastened in each opposite side panel 14. A vertically extending opening 27 is provided in the bracket and the lower end of an adjustable pole 28 is supported therein. The adjustable pole 28 is provided with a shoulder 29 which rests against the upper side of the bracket 24. The adjustable pole is comprised of a pair of sliding members, one of which is a rod 30 received within a sleeve 31. The upper end of the rod is provided with a vacuum cup 32 which may be frictionally abutted against the ceiling 33. An opening 34 is provided in the top panel 16 through which the adjustable pole extends upwardly out of the chamber 21. The column speaker enclosure includes additional conventional elements, such as sound absorbing material 34 located upon the inner sides of the back and side panels. It also includes veneer strips 35 to hide the end grains of the wood and it is, of course, understood that certain of the openings 19 may be used for a tweeter speaker 36. The sound-absorbing material may, additionally, be placed against the inner sides of the bottom and top panels as well.

In operative use, the adjustable column speaker enclosure is placed in a suitable part of the room standing upon its legs 17. The adjustable pole is then manipulated so that the rod 30 is moved longitudinally within the sleeve 31 until the vacuum cup 32 is in abutment with the ceiling 33. In this position, the rod and sleeve are rigidly secured together by means of a set screw 37 or other equivalent securing means of conventional type. The adjustable column speaker enclosure is now securely placed without the danger of falling over, as it is now frictionally retained between the floor and the ceiling of the room.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an adjustable column speaker enclosure the combination of a cabinet body, said cabinet body being used for housing audio sound equipment, said cabinet body having self-contained means for being fn'ctionally supported between a floor and ceiling of a room, said cabinet body comprising a housing of generally longitudinal character, said housing having a relatively small base, said housing being generally of tall, upstanding character and said housing carrying a pole having means for being frictionally engageable with the ceiling of a room, said cabinet body comprising a longitudinal, vertical front panel, rear panel and opposite side panels, bottom and top panels enclosing a central compartment, said front panel having a plurality of openings therethrough, a speaker mounted behind each of said openings within said front panel, said speakers being located within said central compartment, the inner sides of said panels having sound absorbing material mounted thereupon, the underside of said bottom panel having a plurality of downwardly extending legs, the lower ends of said legs being frictionally engageable with the floor of a house or room, a horizontally extending bracket being mounted within saidcentral compartment, said bracket having a vertically extended opening therein, the lower portion of said pole having a shoulder, the lower end of said pole being supported within said opening of said bracket, said shoulder of said pole bearing against the opposite side of said bracket, said top panel of said cabinet body having an opening therein. and said pole extending therethrough upwardly out of said cabinet body central chamber.

2. In an adjustable column speaker, the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pole comprises a sleeve member and a rod member, said rod member being received within said sleeve member, said sleeve member comprising the lower element of said pole, said rod member comprising the upper element of said pole, the upper end of said rod member carrying a vacuum cup for frictional engagement with a ceiling of a room and means for securely locking said rod relative to said sleeve in selected position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

6/64 Avedon 181-31 X 

1. IN AN ADJUSTABLE COLUMN SPEAKER ENCLOSURE THE COMBINATION OF A CABINET BODY, SAID CABINET BODY BEIANG USED FOR HOUSING AUDIO SOUND EQUIPMENT, SAID CABINET BODY HAVING SELF-CONTAINED MEANS FOR BEING FRICTIONALLY SUPPORTED BETWEEN A FLOOR AND CEILING OF A ROOM, SAID CABINET BODY COMPRISING A HOUSING OF GENERALLY LONGITUDINAL CHARACTER, SAID HOUSING HAVING RELATIVELY SMALL BASE, SAID HOUSING BEING GENERALLY OF TALL, UPSTANDING CHARACTER AND SAID HOUSING CARRYING A POLE HAVING MEANS FOR BEING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CEILING OF A ROOM, SAID CABINET BODY COMPRISING A LONGITUDINAL, VERTICAL FRONT PANEL, REAR PANEL AND OPPOSITE SIDE PANELS, BOTTOM AND TOP PANELS ENCLOSING A CENTRAL COMPARTMENT, SAID FRONT PANEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, A SPEAKER MOUNTED BEHIND EACH OF SAID OPENINGS WITHIN SAID FRONT PANEL, SAID SPEAKERS BEING LOCATED WITHIN SAID CENTRAL COMPARTMENT, THE INNER SIDES OF SAID PANELS HAVING SOUND ABSORBING MATERIAL MOUNTED THEREUPON, THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING LEGS, THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID LEGS BEING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE FLOOR OF A HOUSE OR ROOM, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING BRACKET BEING MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CENTRAL COMPARTMENT, SAID BRACKET HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDED OPENING THEREIN, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID POLE HAVING A SHOULDER, THE LOWER END OF SAID POLE BEING SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID OPENING OF SAID BRACKET, SAID SHOULDER OF SAID POLE BEARING AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID BRACKET, SAID TOP PANEL OF SAID CABINET BODY HAVING AN OPENING THER EIN AND SAID POLE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH UPWARDLY OUT OF SAID CABINET BODY CENTRAL CHAMBER. 